Valencia holds off CSKA in a thriller

Valencia Basket grabbed its third consecutive home win by downing CSKA Moscow 103-99 at Pabellon Fuente de Sant Luis on Thursday. Valencia improved to 8-14 in the standings, while CSKA dropped to 17-5, but remains first overall. Erick Green led the winners with 19 points, Bojan Dubljevic scored 18, Alberto Abalde contributed 17, Will Thomas 14, Rafa Martinez 13 and Tibor Pleiss had 11 for Valencia. Nando De Colo led CSKA with 30 points, Will Clyburn added 27 and Cory Higgins 16 for the visitors. The Spanish champs seemed to be in total control when a three-pointer by Dubljevic made it 82-68 in the fourth quarter, but Higgins, De Colo and Clyburn brought CSKA within 86-85 midway through the fourth quarter. De Colo tied the game at 95-95 in the next-to-last minute, but a big triple by Abalde and free throws by Thomas, Dubljevic and Green sealed the outcome.

Green got Valencia going with a jumper and Pleiss added a jump hook for a 4-2 lead. Clyburn stepped up with a three-point play and De Colo added back-to-back triples for a 6-11 CSKA lead. Pleiss had 5 points in a 7-0 run that put Valencia ahead 13-11. De Colo sank his third three-pointer and Andrey Vorontsevich added a layup-plus-foul, but Abalde and Thomas helped Valencia restore a 19-18 edge. A three-point play by Clyburn and free throws by Higgins put CSKA back in charge, 21-23, after 10 minutes. CSKA struggled to score early in the second quarter and Dubljevic, Fernando San Emeterio and Abalde each struck from downtown in a 13-2 run that prompted the guests to call timeout at 34-25. Higgins followed a driving layup with a three-point play and De Colo added free throws and a fast break basket to get CSKA a bit closer, 39-34. A red-hot Abalde struck from downtown and added a floater. A layup by Thomas soon made it a double-digit game. Driving layups by Higgins and De Colo brought CSKA within 49-42 at halftime.

Clyburn and Nikita Kurbanov combined for all the points in a 0-7 run that tied the game at 49-49 after the break. Dubljevic rescued Valencia with a three-pointer and a jump hook, but Vorontsevich and Clyburn brought CSKA within 56-54. Dubljevic kept pushing the hosts with a three-pointer and a put-back layup, Martinez followed free throws with a jumper and back-to-back baskets by Green set a 70-61 Valencia lead. Clyburn took over with a triple and a driving layup, but Martinez answered from downtown for a 73-66 Valencia margin after 30 minutes. CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis was ejected due to a double technical foul early in the fourth quarter. Green hit free throws and Thomas scored down low for a double-digit Valencia lead, 77-66. Green insisted from the foul line and hit a triple that seemed to break the game open at 82-68 with over seven minutes left. It didn't last long, however, as Sergio Rodriguez and De Colo fueled a 0-8 run that brought CSKA back to life, 82-76, with six minutes left. Clyburn added a layup and free throws, Higgins took over with a wild dunk-and-one and De Colo made it a 1-point game. Pleiss scored down low and Martinez ignited the crowd with a triple, but De Colo and Clyburn got CSKA within 93-91. Higgins tied the game with a dunk and Dubljevic and De Colo exchanged free throws. A three-pointer by Abalde gave Valencia a 98-95 edge with 21.6 seconds remaining. After Vorontsevich missed from downtown, Thomas sealed the outcome from the foul line.

Head Coaches

VIDORRETA, TXUS

Valencia Basket

"The team played a great game and did a good job on defense, especially after Nando De Colo hit 3 three-pointers. We played better defense around the three-point line, one of the top skills of this team. In the second quarter, we were able to control the defensive rebound and run, with confidence on offense, sharing the ball, attacking inside-outside, looking for advantages for Tibor Pleiss and Bojan Dubljevic, even for Alberto Abalde in one-on-one situations from the three-point line. We kept that line in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, doing a great job on offense and defense to get a 14-point lead. In the last minute, the game was really difficult, tough, but finally, we did a great job in the last minute to take an important win, which we deserved. I believe it is a reward to the good job we are doing at overcoming adversities all the time. My players are showing that they have a clear knowledge of our script. They know what we are looking for. We have won four of our last five EuroLeague home games, beating Panathinaikos, Khimki, Barcelona and CSKA, only losing against Fenerbahce. Panathinaikos, Khimki and CSKA have been playoffs teams almost all the way this season. That gives us strength to compete."

ITOUDIS, DIMITRIS

CSKA Moscow

“I have to congratulate Valencia. We were not good enough in the first half and played much better in the second. We fought hard, came back into the game and its outcome could be different. The three-point shooting was one of the keys. They shot the ball better, they are playing at home. We are not a 34-percent shooting team beyond the arc, we could shoot better. But it is not the only thing that forced the outcome of this game. Everybody wants to shoot better, we could shoot better, we got a lot of open looks from good shooters that could make shots. But even if you don’t make shots you have to find a way to win. We will analyze a lot our performance, especially in the second quarter. We did not fight, we gave up a lot of easy baskets and allowed 30 points, and we have to talk about that.”

Players

ABALDE, ALBERTO

Valencia Basket

"It was a great game for our fans, as they saw us beat one of the best teams in Europe. We are very happy and I hope this will help us keep working this way. We were not consistent on defense in some moments of the game, but were the better team on the floor, especially inside. They were without Othello Hunter and Kyle Hines, which are keys for them on defense. We were able to punish them in the situations we talked about before the game and that allowed us to get a very important win. I was really comfortable in the first half and after that, they made things tougher for me with double teams. Still, my teammates are making things easier for me and I hope I can keep helping the team in the point guard position as long as I am needed."

MARTINEZ, RAFA

Valencia Basket

"I believe that, even when it is a high-scoring game, the team played good defense and that allowed us to get a 13-point lead, which we didn't keep at the end of the game, but defense and rebounds allowed us to get that lead. CSKA is a very talented team and has a lot of scorers, so if you want to beat them, you need to play a perfect game on offense and defense. We did really well on offense, but also on defense, at least in some moments of the game. We may have injured players, but the team always fights. Anyone can have a good scoring night in any given game, and we are little by little growing as a team."

RODRIGUEZ, SERGIO

CSKA Moscow

"We didn't have a good game on defense and they felt really comfortable in a lot of circumstances, outside and inside. It is true that we were missing two players who are really important in our rotation, Kyle Hines and Othello Hunter, but we didn't play a good game. We have to keep working. It is a long season and there is a long way ahead of us. We arrived to this game in a good moment after five consecutive wins, playing good basketball, but there are a lot of talented teams in the EuroLeague. Valencia has some injured players, but are talented and have a great spirit. They won the Spanish League last season and always compete."

HIGGINS, CORY

CSKA Moscow

"The start of the game was the key to the game. We didn't play like we usually do. We didn't show character from the start; we showed it in the second half but it wasn't enough. The EuroLeague is a marathon, but when you play for this team, you play to win every game. We are still disappointed we lost, but at the same time, we are in control of our destiny."